SHANE HENDREN

As an authority on Indian art and jewelry, New Mexico native Shane Hendren has been featured in numerous jewelry and art publications, as well as exhibitions. He has also lectured on numerous topics with a focus on Indian arts. “From an early age I was aware of the equipment that the cowboys around me used, and I was enamored by it. I learned that the quality of a person’s equipment reflected their dedication to their vocation,” he says. Thus, his first University of New Mexico metalsmithing project was a set of spurs. Shane’s jewelry is housed in public and private collections around the world, including the British Museum in London. He is the only four-time Artist of the Year, named by the Indian Arts and Crafts Association (IACA). “I was the president of the IACA in 2010, during which time we were instrumental in changing the Indian Arts and Crafts laws in New Mexico and Washington, D.C. The amended Indian Arts and Crafts Act was one of the first pieces of legislation signed by newly elected President Barack Obama,” he says. Shane brings his extensive knowledge of hand-engraving, fabrication, hollow-forming, lapidary and mokume gane to Rio Grande’s Jewelry Tech Team, which he joined in 2017.